1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electric toothbrushes. More particularly, though not exclusively, the invention relates to an electric toothbrush having bristles arranged to brush away from the gumline and to brush the gaps between the teeth.
2. State of the Art
Modern electric toothbrushes often have a tuft of bristles that rotate continuously about an axis or pivot back and forth about an axis. The axis extends in a direction normal to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush neck and body. This type of bristle movement can force food particles and plaque under the gumline and thereby promote gum disease, or other oral problems.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage and/or more generally to provide an improved electric toothbrush having bristles that provided cleaning action away from the gumline and to brush the gaps between the teeth.
There is disclosed herein an electric toothbrush comprising a handle, a neck having a longitudinal axis and a brush head mounted to the neck and including bristles that rotate about an axis that is at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the neck.
Preferably the brush head has bristles positioned about said acute axis.
Preferably central ones of the bristles extend substantially parallel to said acute axis and other bristles positioned radially outwardly of said acute axis are angled outwardly therefrom.
Preferably the brush head is mounted to the neck so as to be selectively pivotable about an axis that is substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the neck.
Preferably the toothbrush includes a motor-driven shaft within the neck and a gear arrangement transmitting rotation of the shaft to the head and bristles.
Preferably the gear arrangement includes a pinion mounted to the motor-driven shaft and an intermediate bevel gear meshing with the pinion and rotating about an axis substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the neck, and a brush head bevel gear rotating about said acute axis and meshing with the intermediate bevel gear.